Tokyo makes a bid for disputed islands

Published on 08/07/2012 00:00

JAPAN: The government is negotiating to buy disputed islands at the centre of a territorial dispute with 
China from their Japanese owner.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda says he’s considering nationalising the islands to bolster their control “peacefully and stably.”

His comment yesterday come days after Taiwanese activists and a local Japanese politician made unauthorised visits to the uninhabited islands, called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. Surrounded by rich fishing grounds, they’re a flash point for diplomatic relations with China.

Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara said in April that he was in purchase talks with the owner, prompting calls among national lawmakers for Noda’s government to take the initiative amid concerns about China’s increasing territorial claims in the region.